Gimbal assemblies that are used to translate human movements to machine movements are used in myriad industries. For example, some aircraft flight control systems include a gimbal assembly in the form of one or more control sticks (or inceptors). The flight control system, in response to input forces supplied to the control stick from the pilot, controls the movements of various aircraft flight control surfaces. No matter the particular end-use system, the gimbal assembly preferably includes some type of haptic feedback mechanism, either active or passive, back through the interface to the interface operator. The interface also typically includes one or more devices, such as a gimbal mechanism, for accurately converting angular displacements into rotary motion.
Gimbal assemblies that employ gimbal mechanisms also typically rely on various types and amounts of wiring harnesses to interconnect various switches and/or knobs on the control stick to some fixed point in the mechanism. Because the control stick is free to rotate about multiple rotational axes, the wiring also rotates and moves with the control stick. This rotation and movement can cause fatigue stress in some or all of the wiring, which can ultimately lead to electrical opens, if not properly addressed. Moreover, the mass and bending of the wiring needs to be accounted for to properly balance the interface.
Although gimbal assemblies that employ gimbal mechanisms and that address the above-mentioned concerns have been designed and manufactured, addressing these concerns can, in many instances, be the most expensive costs associated with the interface. Hence, there is a need for a gimbal mechanism that includes one or more wiring harnesses that are less susceptible to fatigue stresses as compared to present wiring harnesses and/or that do not adversely impact mechanism balance. The present invention addresses at least these needs.